Method of preparing a material of a battery cell

Abstract

A continuous process for producing a material of a battery cell using a system having a mist generator, a drying chamber, one or more gas-solid separators and a reactor is provided. A mist generated from a liquid mixture of two or more metal precursor compounds in desired ratio is dried inside the drying chamber. Heated air or gas is served as the gas source for forming various gas-solid mixtures and as the energy source for reactions inside the drying chamber and the reactor. One or more gas-solid separators are used in the system to separate gas-solid mixtures from the drying chamber into solid particles mixed with the metal precursor compounds and continuously deliver the solid particles into the reactor for further reaction to obtain final solid material particles with desired crystal structure, particle size, and morphology.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A method of producing a material for a battery electrochemical cell, comprising:
 forming a liquid mixture; 
 generating a mist of the liquid mixture at desired liquid droplet sizes; 
 flowing a flow of a first gas heated to a first temperature into a reaction chamber; 
 forming a first gas-solid mixture from the mist and the flow of the first gas; 
 drying the first gas-solid mixture for a first residence time inside the reaction chamber; 
 flowing a flow of a second gas heated to a second temperature into the reaction chamber, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature; 
 forming a second gas-solid mixture inside the reaction chamber; 
 reacting the second gas-solid mixture inside the reaction chamber for a second residence time and oxidizing the second gas-solid mixture into an oxidized reaction product; 
 delivering the oxidized reaction product out of the reaction chamber; and 
 cooling the oxidized reaction product and obtaining solid particles of the oxidized reaction product as the material for the battery electrochemical cell. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 separating the oxidized reaction product into a type of solid particles and a gaseous side product. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 flowing one or more flows of a cooling fluid to cool the temperature of the solid particles. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the solid particles comprises an oxide compound with two or more metals. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid mixture comprises two or more metal-containing precursors selected from the group consisting of metal salts, lithium-containing compound, cobalt-containing compound, manganese-containing compound, nickel-containing compound, lithium sulfate (Li 2 SO 4 ), lithium nitrate (LiNO 3 ), lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ), lithium acetate (LiCH 2 COO), lithium hydroxide (LiOH), lithium formate (LiCHO 2 ), lithium chloride (LiCl), cobalt sulfate (CoSO 4 ), cobalt nitrate (Co(NO 3 ) 2 ), cobalt carbonate (CoCO 3 ), cobalt acetate (Co(CH 2 COO) 2 ), cobalt hydroxide (Co(OH) 2 ), cobalt formate (Co(CHO 2 ) 2 ), cobalt chloride (CoCl 2 ), manganese sulfate (MnSO 4 ), manganese nitrate (Mn(NO 3 ) 2 ), manganese carbonate (MnCO 3 ), manganese acetate (Mn(CH 2 COO) 2 ), manganese hydroxide (Mn(OH) 2 ), manganese formate (Mn(CHO 2 ) 2 ), manganese chloride (MnCl 2 ), nickel sulfate (NiSO 4 ), nickel nitrate (Ni(NO 3 ) 2 ), nickel carbonate (NiCO 3 ), nickel acetate (Ni(CH 2 COO) 2 ), nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH) 2 ), nickel formate (Ni(CHO 2 ) 2 ), nickel chloride (NiCl 2 ), aluminum (Al)-containing compound, titanium (Ti)-containing compound, sodium (Na)-containing compound, potassium (K)-containing compound, rubidium (Rb)-containing compound, vanadium (V)-containing compound, cesium (Cs)-containing compound, chromium (Cr)-containing compound, copper (Cu)-containing compound, magnesium (Mg)-containing compound, iron (Fe)-containing compound, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first gas comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of air, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen gas, inert gas, noble gas, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the flow of the first gas and the flow of the mist of the liquid mixture are flown inside the drying chamber at an angle of 0 degree to 180 degrees. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first gas is heated to the first temperature of between 70° C. and 600° C. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second gas comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of air, oxygen, carbon dioxide, an oxidizing gas, nitrogen gas, inert gas, noble gas, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second gas is heated to the second temperature of between 400° C. and 1300° C. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , Wherein the first residence time is between one second and one hour, and the second residence time is between one second and ten hours. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mist is generated at desired liquid droplet sizes of between one tenth of a micron and one millimeter. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reaction chamber is selected from the group consisting of a furnace, a rotary furnace, a stirring furnace, a furnace with multiple temperature zones, a drying chamber, a vertical chamber, a horizontal chamber, a fluidized bed reactor, a circulating fluidized bed reactor, a bubbling fluidized bed reactor, an annular fluidized bed reactor, a flash fluidized bed reactor, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid mixture comprises two or more metal-containing precursors selected from the group consisting of metal salts, lithium-containing compound, cobalt-containing compound, manganese-containing compound, nickel-containing compound, lithium sulfate (Li 2 SO 4 ), lithium nitrate (LiNO 3 ), lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ), lithium acetate (LiCH 2 COO), lithium hydroxide (LiOH), lithium formate (LiCHO 2 ), lithium chloride (LiCl), cobalt sulfate (CoSO 4 ), cobalt nitrate (Co(NO 3 ) 2 ), cobalt carbonate (CoCO 3 ), cobalt acetate (Co(CH 2 COO) 2 ), cobalt hydroxide (Co(OH) 2 ), cobalt formate (Co(CHO 2 ) 2 ), cobalt chloride (CoCl 2 ), manganese sulfate (MnSO 4 ), manganese nitrate (Mn(NO 3 ) 2 ), manganese carbonate (MnCO 3 ), manganese acetate (Mn(CH 2 COO) 2 ), manganese hydroxide (Mn(OH) 2 ), manganese formate (Mn(CHO 2 ) 2 ), manganese chloride (MnCl 2 ), nickel sulfate (NiSO 4 ), nickel nitrate (Ni(NO 3 ) 2 ), nickel carbonate (NiCO 3 ), nickel acetate (Ni(CH 2 COO) 2 ), nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH) 2 ), nickel formate (Ni(CHO 2 ) 2 ), nickel chloride (NiCl 2 ), aluminum (Al)-containing compound, titanium (Ti)-containing compound, sodium (Na)-containing compound, potassium (K)-containing compound, rubidium (Rb)-containing compound, vanadium (V)-containing compound, cesium (Cs)-containing compound, chromium (Cr)-containing compound, copper (Cu)-containing compound, magnesium (Mg)-containing compound, iron (Fe)-containing compound, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first gas comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of air, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and the second gas comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of air, oxygen, carbon dioxide, an oxidizing gas, nitrogen gas, inert gas, noble gas, and combinations thereof gas, inert gas, noble gas, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first gas is heated to the first temperature of between 70° C. and 600° C., and the second gas is heated to the second temperature of between 400° C. and 1300° C. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reaction chamber of the process system comprises a reactor selected from the group consisting of a furnace, a rotary furnace, a stirring furnace, a furnace with multiple temperature zones, a drying chamber, a vertical chamber, a horizontal chamber, a fluidized bed reactor, a circulating fluidized bed reactor, a bubbling fluidized bed reactor, an annular fluidized bed reactor, a flash fluidized bed reactor, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       18. A method of preparing a material for a battery electrochemical cell, comprising:
 forming a liquid mixture from two or more metal-containing precursors; 
 delivering the liquid mixture into a process system comprising a mist generator and a reaction chamber; 
 generating a mist of the liquid mixture at desired liquid droplet sizes using the mist generator of the process system; 
 flowing a flow of a first gas heated to a first temperature into the process system; 
 forming a first gas-solid mixture from the mist and the flow of the first gas; 
 drying the first gas-solid mixture for a first residence time inside the process system; 
 flowing a flow of a second gas heated to a second temperature into the process system, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature; 
 forming a second gas-solid mixture inside the process system; 
 reacting the second gas-solid mixture inside the process system for a second residence time and oxidizing the second gas-solid mixture into an oxidized reaction product; 
 delivering the oxidized reaction product out of the process system; and 
 cooling the oxidized reaction product and obtaining solid particles of the oxidized reaction product as the material for the battery electrochemical cell. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 separating the oxidized reaction product into solid particles and a gaseous side product. 
 
     
     
       20. A method of preparing a material for a battery electrochemical cell, comprising:
 forming a liquid mixture from two or more metal-containing precursors; 
 delivering the liquid mixture into a process system; 
 generating a mist of the liquid mixture at desired liquid droplet sizes using the mist generator of the process system; 
 flowing a flow of a first gas heated to a first temperature into the process system; 
 forming a first gas-solid mixture from the mist and the flow of the first gas; 
 drying the first gas-solid mixture for a first residence time inside the process system; 
 flowing a flow of a second gas heated to a second temperature into the process system, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature; 
 forming a second gas-solid mixture inside the process system; 
 reacting the second gas-solid mixture inside the process system for a second residence time and oxidizing the second gas-solid mixture into an oxidized reaction product; 
 delivering the oxidized reaction product out of the process system; 
 separating the oxidized reaction product into solid particles and a gaseous side product; and 
 cooling the solid particles of the oxidized reaction product and obtaining the solid particles as the material for the battery electrochemical cell.